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Category: Vernuccio-Novak Report

Latest Vernuccio-Novak Report

Candid Discussions on the Most Controversial Topics

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date January 4, 2024

The Vernuccio Novak report goes where other programs fear to tread! Listen to this week’s program at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SAQWixmR6VkwoMfoe7yHrrHhXE1RJRsg/view?ts=6595c11e

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The Most Intelligent Talk Radio!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date December 29, 2023

The best in talk radio! Listen at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MTaAM1ByJFqI-nKA3oDs1Ie2sgUFJuaR/view?ts=659efc10

Vernuccio-Novak Report

The Most Intelligent Talk Radio!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date December 14, 2023

The most insightful talk radio in the nation! Tune into this week’s program here!

Vernuccio-Novak Report

The News the Mainstream Media is Afraid to Cover!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date December 11, 2023

The best in talk radio! Tune in now at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WMG741MwiS83vLFfsvlYOvXwpf4x3ZSH/view?ts=6570db6a

Vernuccio-Novak Report

The Inside Scoop

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date November 30, 2023

Get the inside info on the hottest news stories! Tune into this week’s radio program here.

Vernuccio-Novak Report

Get the Inside News!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date November 22, 2023

The hottest stories, the most vital guests, all on this week’s Vernuccio-Novak Report! Listen here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EMJ8Lk1Zvk7xfLNCDp1hg_Wmf_MeNFna/view?ts=655d2da1

Vernuccio-Novak Report

Best Talk Radio!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date November 16, 2023

The most insightful talk radio in the nation! Tune into this week’s program here.

Vernuccio-Novak Report

No-Holds Barred Talk Radio!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date September 28, 2023

Get the best in talk radio! Catch this week’s program at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1raIoJMxquo4EmFt3W0Mjah6CVeb4XyA4/view?ts=654bf3a3

Vernuccio-Novak Report

The Best Talk Radio!

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date September 23, 2023

The best in talk radio! Listen at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mA_8r61EDkjGWgW7hpt1ALhDMOZQZXJx/view?ts=650b42a4

Vernuccio-Novak Report

Tune in to This Week’s Program

Post author By Frank V. Vernuccio, Jr.
Post date September 16, 2023

The best in talk radio! Listen here https://drive.google.com/file/d/169utSewPXkv5bPM1CxCJPtqj2CWstL1Q/view?ts=65021101

Moscow-Beijing Relations Changing

Change is in the air and not only in Washington. A few decades ago, Russia was the dominant power in the communist world. Beijing relied on Moscow as a child depending on a parent for protection and nurturing. Those roles are reversed today. Western sanctions have limited Russia’s global engagements, especially its activities in the Arctic region. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has expanded its involvement in the high north. In 2018 it proclaimed itself a “near Arctic state,” despite sitting 930 miles (1,500 km) from that region. Moscow’s unspoken concerns in 2025 are continuing to grow as developments between the two appear to indicate Beijing is expanding its behind-the-scenes activities in a likely attempt to emerge as the dominant Arctic power. At first Putin welcomed China’s engagement given the restrictions that sanctions imposed on his country. As Beijing expanded its operations and redefined itself, Kremlin concerns increased and led it to oppose the near Arctic state characterization. “In 2020, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy in the Arctic Council at the time stated that Russia ‘disagree[d] with’ the characterization of the PRC as a near Arctic state, instead agreeing with then-U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo that ‘there are two groups of countries—Arctic and non-Arctic,’” according to Paul Goble of the Jamestown Foundation. While he says Kremlin concerns are not the same as an immediate breakdown in relations, it may be possible for the West to exploit these differences in the future. With Russia’s resources increasingly consumed by its ongoing war in Ukraine, it is likely that an ambitious China will continue to use the opportunity to move forward in the Arctic. Beijing is constructing new ice breakers and developing infrastructure in and along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and beyond. Although public statements by the two states continue to be positive, there are indications that their shared interests have limits. Last November, the first meeting of the “Sub-commission on Cooperation on the NSR of the Russian-Chinese Commission for the Preparation of Regular Meetings of Heads of Government” was held in St. Petersburg. Tensions emerged as differences in their perspectives saw Russia concentrating primarily on security issues as in the past while China spoke explicitly about its economic approach on the NSR. Beijing claims economics leads any security interest it has in the region. If the West is to combat China’s rise in influence in the Arctic, it needs to understand that the containment of one power may lead to a significant rise in the other. China may have plans to push Russia out of its dominant position in the Arctic. Observers, such as Vasily Koltashov, an expert at the Plehkanov University of Economics in Moscow, is highly skeptical that China will remain an ally of Russia’s. He suggests that China is gaining strength at Russia’s expense, according to Goble. Koltashov says that Moscow will remain allied only if it can control Beijing’s regional involvement. That will mean that China’s investments cannot challenge Putin’s position or exploit its deteriorating circumstances. He points out that Putin may not be able to stop events, and that Russia could be “transformed into the periphery of China.” Koltashov is not alone in his viewpoint. Goble points out that other Russian analysts, although quieter in their predictions, also see the China challenge as a real concern for the Kremlin. In recent months there are an increasing number of Russian language articles discussing the challenge China poses to Putin and Russia. Discrepancies become evident when examining the level of Russian cargo traffic over the last year on the NSR. Moscow’s planned goals for maritime tonnage do not meet the actual tonnage of reported cargo traffic. Russia also failed to meet its predicted schedule for icebreaker construction, leading some analysts in Washington to call the NSR a “black hole” for the 2025 Russian budget. If Putin backs off further, it opens additional opportunities for China’s aggressive Xi Jinping to decide to fill the gap. The Kremlin is unlikely to simply cede control of the Arctic to China. If Beijing continues to quietly and slowly move into a more prominent position, however, it may be able to achieve its long-term strategic gains in the region. Russia, in the end, may not be able to stop the security challenge to its sovereignty over the high north. The Trump Administration and other Western leaders need to consider that China and Russia may publicly speak in friendly terms, they may not always coordinate as allies. It is time to design an approach to containment that works for the free world. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay